How wind farms could earn you 7.5% a year

Investors are turning to green projects, but there are risks, warn experts. We look at ways to go green — and ask whether they are worth it

Balfour sells surplus energy from his turbine back to the grid (Garry Sandison)

Investors are being offered the chance to invest in a wind turbine for as
little as £500 and earn 7.5% a year.

Wind Prospect Group, a global renewable energy firm, has launched a corporate
bond to raise £10m to build the first commercial turbines in the West
Midlands.

The ReBonds, targeted at British retail investors, offer a fixed return of
7.5% a year over four years, with a higher rate of 8% for larger investments
of more than £10,000.

However, experts say investing in a single company is high risk — particularly
as Wind Prospect Group is a small, privately-owned firm and does not have a
credit rating.

Patrick Connolly at AWD Chase de Vere, the adviser, said: “Investing in a
single company corporate bond is a high-risk approach and these risks are
multiplied many times for small companies operating in specialist areas.”